Passage of the Damned: Prelude to the End
by Craig Sterling
Summary: While struggling to accept her mother's death, Fern goes on a quest to find life's truths, only to discover that those truths might have a sinister and deadly cost. Rated T: disturbing violence/terror, brief language, and mature thematic material. This is a collaborative story with MLPStevenUniverseLPS.
1. Chapter 1: Burst

Chapter 1

Fern Walters was sitting at her desk in her room, where she had spent countless hours writing mysteries, horrors, and poetry. Today, on this Monday morning, she was working on a new story, one that she assumed would be her masterpiece. School had a late start because of the snowstorm from last night, giving her a few hours to wrap up another chapter. Fern could feel her hand cramping slightly as she wrote down the words that popped into her head. The ticking of the clock on her bed stand was in the background, and the light from the lamp flooded the lined paper with yellow light.

After what seemed like an eternity, Fern put her lucky pen down and looked over her work. There were seven full pages of writing, and that fact made Fern rather proud of herself. This story was a love story, which was her first. Usually, she based her tales on prominent literary figures like Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein, but she decided to go a different route this time. Fern figured her change of heart was because she was now in high school, and in high school, romance is a dominant player in the social scene. Writing a romance was a manifestation of her experiences at school.

Fern started to reread her writing, and make edits as needed. Some phrases need grammatical changes, others were simply changed. A few words were spelled wrong. As she was submersed in her own world, she heard a knocking at her door. Fern instantly became annoyed. Not only was she interrupted with her precious work, but she knew who was doing the knocking: her mother. That made things even more unbearable. Her mom was always trying to intrude on her privacy.

"Yes?" called Fern, who was still eying her written words.

"Fern, are you ready for school? It starts in half an hour," replied her mother from behind the door. Fern glanced at the clock. Her mother was right: time flew by on his late morning start. This was rather a disappointment for Fern, because she wanted unlimited time to slowly craft her newfound love story. It would have to wait though. With the bad roads from the storm, it would surely take twice as long to get to school.

"Yeah, mom. I'm all-ready. I'm just working," said Fern with an annoyed tone. She didn't like to be bothered while she was writing. Her own world was very fragile, and any interruption could be costly at finding inspiration for new ideas. Just then, Fern heard the door open. Fern whipped around to see her mother standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Fern, you had several free hours before school and you decide to spend all of it writing?" asked Mrs. Walters. She did not look too impressed. Fern was frustrated, but now things just got worse. Her own mother was questioning her choice to write instead of doing what exactly? Homework? That was done last night (like it was supposed to). Not to mention, her mom had used a similar line in the past on a multitude of occasions – it was getting old.

"Mom, I'm busy, please leave me alone," grumbled Fern. She wasn't going to let her mother intervene during this precious time of creativity. She had been interrupted too many times before by the same annoying person.

"You got to stop this fantasy," stated Mrs. Walters with a sour look on her face.

"What do you mean, "fantasy"?" replied Fern indignantly.

"We've talked about this again and again, Fern. You're always writing. Maybe you should be socializing, you know, dating boys and talking with friends. Instead, you have your nose in books and pens in your hand," said Mrs. Walters, "It's not healthy for a 16 year old."

Fern pushed her chair back and stood up to face her mother. She could feel her face turning red with anger. Was her mother really going to go there yet again? Socializing? Dating boys? Since when did any of that matter anyways? Her mom had tried other tactics before, like guilt-shaming and whatnot, and Fern would have none of it.

"Mom, stop it. I want to write, so I write. Quit trying to control my life," asserted Fern with a frown. Mrs. Walters strutted up to her daughter. "I just want you to be happy," replied Mrs. Walters. Fern stepped back to get more space.

"You want me to be happy? No, you want me to be controlled! You want me to be social, well, that's not me, mom! So stop trying to turn a square into a circle!" hissed Fern. She was sick and tired of the same old conversation with her mother. Every day now it seemed that her mother was trying break Fern away from her natural self. Be more outgoing. Be more talkative. Be more social. Fern just wanted to live her life and not be nagged constantly by her control-freak mother.

"Watch your tongue, young lady!" said Mrs. Walters as she pointed a finger at her daughter.

"I don't care if you're my mother, you're not my friend!" screamed Fern. She was very upset now. She didn't care what the consequences would be for her outburst.

"You know what? You're just an arrogant brat who thinks that she can live in la-la land! You can't, Fern! The real world is not like the stories you read and write!" yelled Mrs. Walters.

"At least the stories make me happy. You sure don't!" spat Fern.

"You don't mean that," replied Mrs. Walters rather quietly. She seemed taken aback by her daughter's harsh words.

"I mean every damn word I just said," said Fern, "You would rather control me than let me be myself. If that's the case…then SCREW YOU!" Fern knocked the chair over in rage. The sound of the chair hitting the floor echoed throughout the house.

Mrs. Walters walked closer to Fern and slapped her across the face. "How dare you talk to me that way! That's it! No more of this writing crap you're doing!" yelled Mrs. Walters. She reached to grab the stack of Fern's writing. Fern instinctively snatched the papers before her mother could reach them. "STAY AWAY FROM MY WORK!" screamed Fern.

Mrs. Walter's face was red with rage now. "This is MY house and I demand you give me that story!" she shrieked.

Fern pressed the papers up against her chest. "No! I HATE you! You're always trying to make me into something I'm not! Now get out of my room, you bitch!" she roared. Mrs. Walters' mouth dropped a little in disbelief. Her eyes became watery. Then, she quietly turned around and walked out of the room, not saying another word.

Fern could feel her heart racing. She had gotten in yelling matches with her mother about this subject many times before, but this one felt different. Maybe it was the way her mother looked at her just before she left. Fern felt a little guilty as to what she said, but she ignored the qualms. The only thing that mattered is that she kept her valuable story safe from the clutches of her controlling mother.


	2. Chapter 2: Confrontation

Chapter 2

Fern finally pulled into the high school parking lot. With all the snow and ice, it had taken significantly longer to get to her destination, but she made it unscathed. She didn't say a word to her mother as she left the house. Fern was still upset with her, but felt better knowing she wouldn't see her until that night. She parked the car, then got out and walked into the school.

As Fern headed to her locker, she saw Sue Ellen putting some books into her own locker, which was next to her own.

"Hey Fern, how's it going?" asked Sue Ellen cheerfully.

Fern unlocked her locker and began to pull out some notebooks. "Sigh, I just got into a fight with my mom again," she replied.

"Again? Seems like it's been happening a lot," commented Sue Ellen. She shut her locker and slung her backpack onto her shoulders.

Fern turned to her best friend. "Yeah, this time it was about my writing. She said I shouldn't write so much, and I should be socializing with boys and all that," explained Fern with a frown.

Sue Ellen shook her head. "I can't believe she doesn't want you to write, you're so good at it!" she replied. Fern gave a weak smile. Sue Ellen was so positive. Plus, Sue Ellen was always encouraging her, especially when fights broke out at home.

"Thanks, Sue Ellen, it means a lot," said Fern softly.

"Oh look, there's that nasty skag."

Fern and Sue Ellen turned around, and saw Francine and Muffy standing there. They both had a sinister look on their faces. Fern just ignored Francine's comment. She wasn't in the mood to go through another fight.

"Francine, leave Fern alone," asserted Sue Ellen.

"Stay out of this, Sue Ellen, Fern needs to fight her own battles," scoffed Francine.

"Fern, when are you going to learn that you're not welcome around here?" asked Muffy sadistically. Fern pulled her backpack onto her shoulders. She still wasn't to say anything, even though she desperately wanted to punch the two girls.

"What's wrong, Fern? Can't you talk? It's not like you ever say anything, anyways," mocked Francine. Muffy laughed at her friend's insult.

Fern looked at Sue Ellen. "I'm going to go to class. I'll see you at lunch," she half-whispered. She walked past Francine and Muffy, who turned to watch their victim leave the scene.

"This isn't over, you witch!" called Muffy. Fern kept her head down and continued to walk away.

Francine and Muffy turned to Sue Ellen, who was standing there with a sour look on her face.

"You guys need to leave Fern alone. She's going through a tough time at home," stated Sue Ellen. Francine and Muffy laughed.

"Why are you defending her? She's getting what she deserves," said Francine.

Sue Ellen walked up to Francine and got face to face with her. Sue Ellen was smaller than Francine, but she wasn't intimidated by her one bit. Francine stepped back a little. She knew Sue Ellen was a black belt and had the skills to quickly end a fight.

"I defend her because she's my friend. Just please, leave her alone," said Sue Ellen. Francine and Muffy looked at each other, then looked back at the petite girl.

"Whatever, Sue Ellen," muttered Francine. Her and Muffy turned and started heading to class. The bell began to ring, and Sue Ellen hurried off to her class before she got scolded by the instructor for being late.

Fern and Sue Ellen were busy chatting and enjoying their lunches. With the short morning from the storm delay, the day seemed to be going by much faster. The cafeteria was bustling from the noises of students eating and talking. Outside, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and cast light upon the winter wonderland.

"I'm telling you, he was checking me out," said Sue Ellen as she munched on her apple. Fern laughed. "Oh come on, I think you're over reacting," she replied. Sue Ellen shook her head. "No seriously, I turned around and he was staring right at my ass," stated Sue Ellen. "What a creep!" commented Fern. The two girls then began to laugh.

"Hey Fern, shut up will you?"

Fern and Sue Ellen turned to see Francine, Arthur, and Buster standing there. Yes, Francine was back at it again with the harassment.

"Piss off, Francine!" exclaimed Sue Ellen. Francine ignored the girl's statement. "You can't keep hiding behind Sue Ellen, you know," sneered Francine. Arthur and Buster didn't say anything, although they did not look like they were enjoying the taunting as much as Francine.

Fern just focused on her lunch. She wasn't going to get into a battle with Francine. As long as she kept her mouth shut, then Francine would go away and everything would get back to normal. Francine walked up to Fern and placed an ominous hand on her shoulder.

"Aren't you going to say anything, mouse?" mocked Francine. Sue Ellen stood up with a red face. "Francine! That's enough, leave her alone or you'll regret it!"

Francine squeezed Fern's shoulder. Fern felt the physical pain, but tried to ignore Francine. Hopefully Sue Ellen would beat the crap out of her.

All of a sudden, Fern felt a waterfall of liquid make contact with her back. Francine began to laugh, and Sue Ellen stared in disbelief. Arthur and Buster quietly stood while watching the whole incident.

"Oh, sorry, Fern. I must have spilled my drink," chuckled Muffy sarcastically. Fern could feel the back of her shirt being saturated with the beverage. Francine then let go of Fern's shoulder and turned to Arthur and Buster. "C'mon guys, let's go sit with Alan," she ordered, and the group left Fern and Sue Ellen alone. Sue Ellen leaned in towards Fern.

"Are you okay? Let's go clean up your shirt," said Sue Ellen compassionately. Fern looked like she wanted to cry. She didn't look at her best friend. "Yeah, I guess so," she whispered.

The two girls hurried to the bathroom. Fern took off her shirt and looked at it. Muffy spilled grape juice all over the back, and it left a big stain. "I can't believe she did that," exclaimed Sue Ellen. Fern placed her stained shirt under a stream of water in the sink. "What am I going to wear the rest of the day?" asked Fern quietly. She was already angry with her mother from the morning fight, but now things had got even worse. Muffy and Francine were just as sadistic as her mother.

Sue Ellen massaged Fern's shoulder. "I have an extra shirt in my gym bag. It's still clean, so you wear that," suggested Sue Ellen. She smiled. Fern didn't smile back. She just wanted to hide in one of the stalls for the rest of the day.

"Thanks," muttered Fern. Sue Ellen started heading out of the bathroom. "Stay right here, I'll be back in a minute," she said as she opened the door. Fern nodded, and looked into the mirror. What happened? First her mother, now Francine and Muffy? Even Arthur and Buster were siding with them. Fern never got into fights with Arthur and Buster, so why did they not stop the two bully girls? Fern could feel a lump in her throat forming. She leaned over the sink and clinched the edge of the counter. Fern then started crying. She could feel the tears in her eyes and running down her face. She tried to remain as quiet as possible, so no one would hear her.

Fern went into one of the stalls and shut the door. She sat on the toilet and cried into her hands. Why couldn't people just accept her for who she was? She wasn't a hero, a superstar, miss popular. She was just Fern. That's it.


	3. Chapter 3: Creepiness

Chapter 3

Fern pulled into the driveway of her house and saw her mother's car still parked in the garage. Fern's father was rarely home because of business travel, meaning Fern had to deal with her mother alone on most occasions. She suspected that there would be more drama to come from the tyrant of the house. Another fight? After dealing with Francine and Muffy all day at school, fighting with her mother was the last thing Fern wanted to do. However, she was also not going to get pushed around by her sociopathic mother.

As Fern stepped out of her car, she instantly felt a cold breeze hit her face. She looked around and saw no one. Not a single soul on the street was walking their dogs or shoveling their driveways. It was completely still, save for the wind. Fern found the stillness to be rather unsettling. There was a creepiness in the air, as if something or someone was doing sinister work nearby. Fern tried to ignore such dark thoughts. She hurried inside and shut the door.

All the lights in the house were off. All the blinds were pulled down, so no natural light came in. The house was dead quiet, and very dark. Fern reached for a nearby light switch and flipped it. No light. Perhaps the power was out. Fern pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight setting. She took off her shoes and began to walk down the hall.

"Mom?" she called. Silence. Fern felt the hair on her neck stand up. She whipped around to see if anything was behind her. There was nothing but the empty hallway. Fern felt her heartrate rising. She felt like she was being watched, and it really creeped her out. Fern held her phone out in front of her to have the light pierce through the thick darkness, but her light wasn't powerful enough to have much success.

"Mom? Are you home?" Fern called again. No response.

Fern slowly headed upstairs. She could hear the creaking of the steps as she pressed her feet down on the wooden surface. There was still that eerie feeling of being watched. She got to the top floor and went from room to room to find her mother. No dice.

As Fern checked the last room at the end of the hall, she heard creaking from the steps at the other end of the hallway. Fern turned around and shined her light on the stairwell.

"Mom? Is that you?" she asked quietly. No answer.

Fern could hear the creaking sounds getting closer, as if someone was walking upstairs. The apparent sounds of footsteps were getting closer. Fern instantly felt a wave of panic flood over her. She darted into her parents' bedroom, hid in the wardrobe, and turned off her phone light. As she closed the two doors, she noticed her breathing was rather loud. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to not move at all.

The sounds of footsteps came from the hallway, then the sounds entered the bedroom. Felt her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to cry she was so scared. She tried to peer out of the wardrobe through the crack in between the doors, but couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness. The stepping sounds immediately ceased, which made Fern unsure about what was going on outside the wardrobe. She felt like she was going to pass out with the adrenaline surging through her chest and head.

Then, there were three loud knocks on the wardrobe doors. Fern almost let out a scream, but managed to control herself. She closed her eyes and waited for the intruder to open the doors. She remained still while shaking and sweating profusely. Despite her horrific expectation, the doors remained closed. Fern opened her eyes slowly, and put her ear to the doors. No sound. Would it be a good idea to move? Is the intruder trying to lure her out into the open? Fern stood there in the pitch black and frantically thought about what to do next.

After a few moments, Fern felt her instincts telling her to open the wardrobe doors. She knew from all the mystery novels she read that instincts were more often right than wrong. But what if her intuition was wrong? She could be attacked, raped, or even killed! Fern felt her face dripping with sweat.

Despite the apparent danger, something was telling her she was safe now. Fern took a deep breath and slowly opened the doors. She poked her head out and looked from side to side. There was no one else in the room from what she could see. Fern stepped out of the wardrobe as quietly as she could and tip-toed to the bedroom doorway. She peered out into the dark hallway. There were no sounds on the stairwell, so Fern assumed the intruder was still upstairs. She darted for the stairs and quickly descended.

Fern got to the main floor and paused to listen. No sounds could be heard. Fern pulled out her phone and turned the light back on. Then, a notion hit her: what if the intruder attacked her mother? That would explain why her mother's car was at the house, but her mom never answered her calls. Fern began to frantically search the house and look for any signs of an attack. It was odd, because the house looked completely untouched. All the windows were closed, all the doors were locked. Fern reluctantly ran back upstairs and checked her mother's jewelry box: everything seemed to be there. She headed back downstairs and sat on the couch in the living room.

The situation didn't add up: she swore she heard the sounds of footsteps and the pounding on the wardrobe…yet, there were no signs of a break in. Fern then realized she forgot to check the basement. Maybe her mother was down there? Fern walked over to the downstairs door and opened it. There was a loud creaking sound of the door as it opened, which startled Fern.

As she peered down into the darkness, she began to chuckle to herself. She was probably blowing this whole thing out of proportion. The intruder was a figment of her imagination, her fear. Her mom was probably at the neighbors' house having tea.

As Fern's foot made contact with the first step, she heard the creaking from the steps above her. That sound again! The sound of footsteps! Fern could hear the stepping sounds getting closer as they descended to the main floor. She felt her heart rate spike again as she ran down into the basement.

With only her light coming from her phone, it was terribly hard to see in the pitch blackness. However, after quickly debating where to hide, Fern went and crouched behind the water heater. She turned off her phone light and tried to detect any sounds coming from upstairs. No sounds, it was an unsettling silence.

Fern waited patiently for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. As she crouched in her hiding place, she began to smell something repugnant. It was something she never smelled before, something unfamiliar. The odor made her nauseous it wreaked so bad. She turned her phone light back on and began to slowly scan the environment around her. She figured the lack of sounds from upstairs meant that the intruder was not in the house anymore. As her light passed next to the clothes dryer, Fern screamed in terror at what she saw.


	4. Chapter 4: Fallen

Chapter 4

Fern wanted to look away immediately, but she couldn't help but stare at the traumatizing sight: her mother was laying on the ground. Her body was covered with mice that were eating away at her flesh. Flies and maggots were all over the wounds where the mice had chewed through.

Fern felt numb. She couldn't feel anything – not fear, disgust, sadness, nothing. It was like she was high on drugs or incredibly drunk. She crawled on all fours to her mother and held her mother's cold hand.

"Mom? Mom?" Fern said barely above a whisper.

Mrs. Walters didn't move. Fern remembered her first training from babysitting. She checked her mother's pulse on the neck. No heartbeat. Fern checked the chest and underside of the wrist. No heartbeat detected there either. The notion then hit Fern like a baseball bat to the face – her mother was dead.

Fern knew she was in slight shock, because she felt lightheaded to the point of feeling like an out-of-body experience. She began to pull the ravenous mice off the corpse. She decided it was no use to try and get the flies away. There were hundreds of maggots all over the open wounds. Fern almost threw up from the atrocious smell, but she managed to keep her composure. For over ten minutes, Fern sat next to her mother, and tried to figure out what happened. It was almost surreal. Her mother was alive and well just this morning. Now, her mother was mysteriously dead with animals devouring her flesh. Perhaps it was the intruder. Yes, it must have been the intruder…

"…so did you notice any difference in behavior from your mother in the past couple of days?" asked the police officer. Fern shook her head. "No, sir," she whispered. The officer glanced back at the body, where a detective and medic were busy working on it.

The police officer put a reassuring hand on Fern's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright, Fern, okay?" he said with a smile. Fern didn't return the eye contact. Now, she was out of shock and she felt horrible. It was a mixture of anger and sadness. She was angry that she treated her mother so badly and sad that her mother would never come back. How could this happen? After all the bullying at school, now her own mother has to drop dead like a fly?

The detective stood up and walked over to Fern and the officer. "Fern, so after looking at your mother, we are still not sure what happened to her," she admitted. Fern sighed, but didn't say anything. She didn't feel like saying anything, especially not now.

The detective glanced at the officer, then looked back at Fern. "Listen, we will do an autopsy and see what went down. Sometimes there's unpreventable things that happen, like aneurysms or heart attacks."

Fern felt her hand tighten into a fist. Unpreventable? There's always a way to prevent an accident! No, it wasn't an accident! It was the intruder! Fern finally knew she had to be her own advocate.

"What about the intruder? He was in the house," asserted Fern.

The detective looked down at the floor. "There were no fingerprints, hair, or anything. Everything was locked. No windows were broken. As far as the evidence goes, there was no one else in the house but you and your mom."

"I heard footsteps. Someone pounded on that wardrobe while I was hiding. I'm telling you, you're missing something! It was a homicide!" exclaimed Fern. She could feel her face growing red from frustration. The detective and the police officer looked skeptical of Fern's statement.

"We didn't miss anything, Fern," said the detective. Fern could sense the firmness in the detective's voice. "Sometimes when we get scared, we imagine things," added the police officer. Fern crossed her arms and looked back at her mother's body. She didn't imagine anything! Or did she? Fern wasn't entirely sure of what happened, but whatever it was, the whole situation was terrifying. That much she knew.

"For the meantime, your father is hurrying home from his business trip. He said he will be home late. Are you alright being alone until tonight?" asked the detective. Fern nodded her head.

"I'll be fine," she muttered. "I'd recommend spending time with friends to take your mind off of everything," suggested the officer. Fern knew he meant well, but she had no one to talk to, besides Sue Ellen. The problem was Sue Ellen was babysitting her baby cousins tonight in Bridgetown, the next city over. She couldn't talk to Fern even if she wanted to.

"Alright, let's get going," ordered the detective. The detective, police officer, and medic put the body on a stretcher and began to head upstairs with it. Fern sat down on the cold, hard concrete floor and tried to process everything that happened. Maybe she should text Sue Ellen and let her know what's going on.

Hey Sue Ellen?

Hey what's up amiga?

I just found my mom's body in the basement. She's dead Sue Ellen

Oh my god! Are you okay Fern?! Did you call the cops?

Yeah, they just left.

Do you need me to come over? What happened to her?

Nah, my dad will be home soon, its okay. The detective said they would do an autopsy to determine what happened.

Shit, Fern…I'm so sorry…if there's anything I can do to help, I'm here for you okay?

Thanks, it means a lot

Of course Fern! You're my best friend! We're gonna stick together okay? Just hang in there and I'll see you when you come back to school. I'm babysitting tonight, but if you need to talk, just call me. Seriously. I'll pick up

Thanks Sue Ellen

You bet Fern. Okay, gotta run. I'm right here with ya girl!

Fern put her phone back in her pocket. She finally felt that lump in her throat. As the tears began to roll down her face, she wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Mom…I'm so sorry…I was so terrible to you," cried Fern to herself. She buried her head into her arms. "Please forgive me, Mom, please."

Fern instantly sensed a familiar presence. She shot her head up and looked around the room. "I know you're in here, you bastard!" she hissed. She felt like she was being watched again. It was the same feeling like it was a few hours again when she entered the house. However, the basement was quiet. Fern couldn't see anybody, but she knew he was there and watching her every move.

She stood up clenched both of her fists. "Come out and fight! I'll kill you for what you did to my mom!" Fern yelled. She spun around the room. No movement. All of a sudden, the lights went out, and the room became pitch black.

Fern turned on her phone light and scanned the space like a lighthouse.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she said with all the intimidation she could muster. Fern slowly backed up into the corner of the room, that way no one could come from behind her. Then, she felt something touch her leg. Fern let out a scream, and looked down with her light. It was just a pipe protruding out of the wall.

Fern let out a nervous laugh and decided to get out of there before the intruder got her too. She run upstairs and opened the door to the main floor. As she turned the corner, she ran headlong into a tall masked figure.


	5. Chapter 5: Comfort

Chapter 5

Fern ran headlong into the masked figure and felt to the ground. She screamed in surprise, and quickly shuffled backward with her hands covering her face.

"Who are you?!" she shrieked.

The masked figure knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fern, it's me," he said, then took off his snow mask. It was her father.

"Dad?" said Fern with slight shock. She hugged her him

"I'm sorry I frightened you. My car's heat stopped working, so I put on my snow mask to keep my face warm," explained Mr. Walters.

The two stopped embracing and stood up together. Mr. Walters gave a hard look to Fern. "Fern, I'm so sorry you had to find your mom like that…" he began to say. Fern put her hand up to stop him from going further.

"It's okay, dad. Honestly. I'm just glad you could get home faster than the cops said you would."

Mr. Walters began to take his big, winter jacket off. "Yes, I managed to get an earlier flight home, thank goodness…" he stopped himself, as if he was debating on saying what was on his mind.

Fern looked at him and knew what he wanted to say: that they were going to be okay. Even though mom was gone, that didn't mean life ended. They still had each other, and that was enough now.

"Dad, we're going to get through this, okay?" said Fern with determination. Mr. Walters let out a weak smile at his daughter. "I know, baby," he replied softly. He then turned to head upstairs. "The funeral is tomorrow. I already made arrangements," stated Mr. Walters over his shoulder.

Fern nodded, then went over to the couch in the living room. She sat down and thought about everything that had unfolded over the past couple of hours. Who was that intruder? And what did he want? Did mom die from natural causes, or was she murdered? As she pondered such notions, she began to break down emotionally. She spent some time crying softly and accepting the loss of a loved one. Despite her pain, she was terribly troubled at her mother's death, and how it came to be.

3 Days Later…

Fern walked into the girl's bathroom with Sue Ellen. It was lunch time, and the girls needed some time to reapply makeup and catch up on the latest gossip. To no surprise, Fern wasn't in the best of moods – she had been depressed for the past several days. Once the shock of her mother's death had subsided, true grief emerged, and it was unbearable.

"Thanks for coming to the funeral," said Fern quietly as she checked her hair in the mirror.

"Of course, I'm glad I could be there to support you," replied Sue Ellen with lip gloss in her hand.

The girls stood there silently for a few moments while touching up their makeup. Sue Ellen then suddenly cleared her throat.

"So…how have you been doing with it all? If you don't want to talk about it, I completely understand," she said softly.

Fern put down her mascara brush and looked down at her feet. "It's just hard dealing with the unknown…" replied Fern sadly. She let out a sigh. Sue Ellen gave her a side hug with one of her arms.

"The cops will figure it out. And they're going to catch that murderer!" Sue Ellen exclaimed positively.

The girls heard the bathroom door open and they turned to see who it was. Francine, Muffy, Jenna, and Prunella were all standing there eying Fern.

"Your mom wasn't murdered, Fern. My parents read that she died of natural causes," stated Francine in a matter-of-fact tone. Fern put her mascara brush into its container then looked back in the mirror. No, Francine wasn't going to get her to fight.

"Stop making yourself a victim, Fern. We all have loved ones that die," sneered Muffy. Jenna and Prunella stood in silence, though they seemed to enjoy the taunting, unlike Arthur and Buster from a few days before.

"Piss off, you guys! Can't you just leave her alone?! She found her mom's body for Christ's sake!" snapped Sue Ellen. The four girls laughed at Sue Ellen's statements.

"Sue Ellen, you're just as worthless as that skank, Fern," spat Francine with contempt.

"She's not a skank, she's only had two boyfriends, you bitch!" shot back Sue Ellen. Fern continued to look at herself in the mirror. She could hear her best friend and Francine going back and forth with insults, but she wasn't too concerned. It felt like she was isolated, all alone, as if she was trapped in a bubble that didn't allow anything in or out.

"C'mon, Fern, let's get out of here," said Sue Ellen as she pulled Fern out of the bathroom.

"Aw, look at the dykes, going to eat each other out behind the dumpster!" called Muffy after them. The four girls began to laugh hysterically at the comment. Their ruckus was almost silenced as the door slammed shut, leaving Fern and Sue Ellen some peace.

As the two friends headed down the hall to their next classes, Sue Ellen turned to Fern. "I'm sorry…those girls are so sinister! I can't believe they keep bashing on you," she puffed in frustration. Fern shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't really in the mood to talk, not even to Sue Ellen.

"It's okay, I don't care what they think. They're just insecure," commented Fern quietly.

"Hey Fern!"

Fern and Sue Ellen turned around and saw Buster running up to them. "What's up, Buster?" asked Sue Ellen. Buster had a big smile on his face.

"Sorry, Sue Ellen, but I need to talk to Fern alone," he replied with a grin. Sue Ellen rolled her eyes then started heading off to class.

"So Fern…" began Buster shyly. Fern didn't make eye contact. She just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry until the pain went away.

"Yes?" said Fern, realizing that she needed to say something.

"You wanna go out with me? You know, like a date?" asked Buster with almost too much enthusiasm. Normally, Fern would flip out over being asked out by a guy, but she felt so dead on the inside she didn't even care what Buster had proposed.

"Uh, sure," replied Fern, trying to be nice but also trying to end the conversation so she could be by herself.

Buster threw his fist up in the air. "Yes!" he said triumphantly. He then looked at Fern. "I'll text you later today. Ha! I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, then turned to head to class.

Fern watched her new date stroll into a nearby classroom. She shook her head. Maybe dating Buster would take some of the edge of the pain off? Maybe having some romantic companionship would help? Fern and Buster were never close, but Fern had always found Buster to be good-hearted and hilarious. He may not have been the smartest guy around, but he could turn any situation into a joke. That rare skill might come in handy with Fern's depressive state.


	6. Chapter 6: Creak

Chapter 6

Fern was taking her time in the locker room. She just got done with PE class, which was the last class of the day. Seeing as Mr. Mulligan was too hardcore, he made his students run countless sprints for the whole period. Fern was drenched with sweat. She kept to herself while the other girls showered and caught up on the latest drama. Francine also had the same class, but Fern didn't see her. Hopefully Francine just left and decided to shower at home or something.

As the last of the girls dried themselves off and got dressed, Fern finally began to take her stuff off. She tried to avoid her fellow classmates in the locker room, simply because she was often a victim of ridicule and mockery. For whatever reason, Fern was deemed the punching bag for the horde of nasty girls.

Fern grabbed her towel and headed towards the showers. She turned the water on hot and stood underneath the heavenly sensation. The hot water relaxed her tired muscles and released the tension from a whole period of sprinting. Screw Mr. Mulligan and his sprints. As Fern utilized the shampoo dispenser, she thought about her upcoming date with Buster. It was strange, because Buster never gave any indication of liking her in that way. Sure, they were pleasant towards each other, but a spontaneous date? Fern couldn't stop herself from smiling. Buster was a really nice guy, and he was so funny, maybe there was nothing wrong about dating him…

Fern turned off the showerhead and walked back to her lock. The locker room was dead quiet. She was the only one in there. As she dried herself and began to get dressed, the overhead lights began to flicker. The "bzzz" sound of electricity could be heard as the lights quickly flashed from on to off and back again. Fern felt a little spooked from this. She quickly grabbed the rest of her school stuff and headed out of the locker room.

As she entered the gymnasium, she instantly noticed that the lights were off. It was almost pitch black, save for the natural light coming from the small windows right below the ceiling. Fern stood there in the dark for a moment, and tried to listen for any sounds. There was the soft noise of students in the nearby hallways, but the gym itself was very quiet. She began walking towards the exit doors. As she pasted the performance stage, something caught her ear. It was a creaking sound. Nothing obnoxious or loud, but it was noticeable. Fern turned on her phone light and peered around. The main floor was deserted. She looked up at the ceiling. There was no movement up there. Finally, she figured it out: the noise was coming from behind the curtains of the stage.

Fern was slightly creeped out, but her curiosity was too strong to ignore. She jumped up onto the stage and walked slowly behind the curtain on the side. With the curtains closed all the way across the stage, it was very dark back there. Still, the soft creaking sound was now louder than it had been before. Fern glanced around, with her imagination exploding with what the source of the noise could be.

As she walked towards the center of back stage, she noticed an undisguisable silhouette up above her. She flashed her phone up into the air and screamed at the sight. There, just above her head was a dangling pair of legs. Fern held her phone up higher and saw Francine Frensky hanging from a rope. Fern immediately backed away, but she couldn't help but stare. Francine was motionless. Her body looked limp. Around her neck was a noose. The creaking sound was the sound of the rope as her body slowly swayed in midair. Fern felt her heartrate skyrocket and she began to nervously sweat. She reached out and touched Francine's shoe. No movement.

Fern shook her head in disbelief. Was this a joke? Was Francine trying to prank Fern and make her look like an idiot?

"Francine? This isn't funny," said Fern, desperately hoping the response would be a sinister laugh from the bully. Silence. "Francine, cut it out," said Fern, though she knew the truth: Francine was dead. Fern had read about hangings in several books, and the descriptions matched her current situation. Fern dialed 911, and reported the unexpected death of her nemesis. The operator told Fern to wait where she was, so the authorities could ask her some questions. Fern sat down in a nearby chair and continued to stare up at the hanging body of Francine.

Fern's mind was racing: was this a suicide? Or a murder? Why would Francine kill herself, or why would somebody else kill her? It just didn't make any sense. It was just as confusing as her own mother's death. Both seemed out of the blue, with no indicators beforehand. If it was a suicide, then that would totally be out of character for Francine. Francine was one of the most popular girls in school, not to mention a star on the soccer team. She already had college coaches recruiting her to join their teams after graduation. Francine was very confident in herself, almost too confident, and she rarely had sad moments. Even her romantic life was vibrant, filled with many boyfriends and tales of wild sex and memorable dates.

Then again, if it was a murder, that would be just as interesting. Who would hate Francine so much that they would kill her? Fern thought about it for a moment. There was no one that came to mind. Sure, many girls envied Francine for her good looks and athletic abilities, but envy was common in high school. That didn't correspond to murder. And if it was murder, why hang her in the school? Wouldn't it be easier to kill her when she was all alone walking home one night?

As Fern was submerged in her thoughts, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. It looked like Francine's hand had moved. Fern half-fell out of her chair, and looked at the hanging corpse. Did her hand move? As Fern watched it carefully, she thought she heard Francine's sinister laugh softly piercing the air. Fern moved her eyes up to Francine's face and saw her smiling. Fern screamed, and wasn't sure if she was imagining things or not.


	7. Chapter 7: Reveal

Chapter 7

Fern ended up telling the female detective everything that happened. She was shaking a little bit from the incident, but she managed to keep her cool. It was still hard to believe that Francine died from being hanged. It was like from a Western story or something.

"So you say that she was laughing and smiling at you?" asked the detective with skepticism.

Fern leaned forward with her hands clasped together. "Yes, I'm telling you, she was alive, at least for a few moments."

The detective pulled out a flask and took a drink from it. Fern assumed it was alcohol, but she wasn't bold enough to call the detective out. "Ms. Walters, Francine Frensky was dead before you ever showed up to the party," stated the detective dryly.

Fern shook her head in defiance. "No, I'm telling you, she was still alive, I saw her smiling at me!"

The detective kept a Stoic look on her face. "Listen, Ms. Walters, you've had a traumatic experience, and maybe your brain is playing tricks on you."

Fern stared at the ground and thought about what the detective had proposed. Was she imagining things? Did Francine actually laugh and smile at her? Or was she simply going mad from the trauma?

"Okay, maybe I was imagining some parts, but I'm sure that she was hanging there when I got to the scene," explained Fern with earnest.

The detective kept her Stoic expression. "Your finger prints weren't on the rope, Ms. Walters. We know it wasn't you. But the question still remains: was it a suicide or a murder?"

Fern felt her stomach tighten from the question. She had been pondering the notion since she saw Francine's body hanging from the rope like a rag doll. "I think it was a murder, detective," Fern finally said quietly.

The detective's eyes widened slightly at the statement. "Oh? And why do you say that?" Asked the detective.

"Because Francine had so much good stuff in her life, suicide wouldn't match her character or situation. Suicide comes from the psychotic and or depressed. Francine was neither," said Fern.

The detective leaned back in her chair and stared off into space. Fern wondered what was going through her head. "I would agree, Ms. Walters," the detective replied, "But if it was murder, then we need to find the killer. That is much more complicated than a self-inflicted death."

Fern nodded in agreement. "Yes, I understand, detective. Listen, I've told you everything I know, so can I leave now?"

The detective finally let out a weak smile. "Yes, Ms. Walters, you are free to go."

Fern stood up and began to walk away from the crime scene, when the detective called to her: "Ms. Walters, can I just throw something out here?"

Fern turned around. "Yes, of course."

"I think you'd make a great detective," said the detective, "you have great instincts."

Fern smiled at the detective. "Thank you, I am thinking about going to police academy after high school," she replied, then walked away.

As Fern walked home, she was still shaken up from seeing Francine's lifeless body swaying in midair. God, what on earth happened to her nemesis? All of a sudden, a limousine pulled up next to Fern. The back window dropped down and revealed the face of Muffy Crosswire.

"Fern, you've a piece of shit, you know that?" said Muffy with a sour look. Fern barely glanced at Muffy and kept walking.

"Fern, I know you killed her!" claimed Muffy. Fern whipped her head towards Muffy. "Oh yeah? You think I killed Francine? You're stupid beyond compare if you think that's what happened!"

Muffy's face went red in anger. "You were so jealous of Francine…and now you killed her like an animal! My lawyer will take care of you, you stupid cunt!"

Fern flipped off Muffy. "The police are on my side, Muffy. They said it was a murder, and I'm innocent! So screw you and your stupid lawyer!"

Muffy spit at Fern, then rolled up the window and drove off. Fern continued the rest of her walk in peace. She was so spooked. An unexplainable death of her mother and Francine…it was like something was haunting her. Then, an idea came to Fern: maybe talk to Prunella? Prunella was an expert at paranormal stuff. Maybe some evil spirit or something was stalking her and making her life a living hell. Yes, talk to Prunella. That would work.

Fern pulled out her phone and called Prunella.

"Prunella? It's Fern."

"Hey, Fern. What's up?"

"Can we talk? I have some paranormal questions."  
"Of course! Come on over anytime tonight."

"Thanks!"

"You're so welcome. And by the way, I'm sorry you found Francine like that. Talk about dark and creepy."

"It's okay, I'm doing fine. I'll be over in about two hours."

"Sounds good, see you then!"

Fern hung up her phone and felt instantly better. Maybe Prunella would have some answers to her questions. Just then, she got a text from Buster.

"Hey Fern, how about we go out Friday night at 6?"

"Sure, Buster! You gonna pick me up?"

"Yeah, I can do that! Looking forward to it!"

Fern smiled. Now that Buster was romantically involved, maybe that meant she could have some happiness in her life for once. On top of that, if Prunella could answer her questions about the mysterious deaths, then she should be golden. Things might be better than initially anticipated…


End file.
